PURPOSE This study aimed to identify and establish ESG activity assessment factors tailored for sports brands, offering a foundational framework for fostering sustainability within the sports industry. METHODS A Delphi survey was conducted between December 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023, involving university professors, sports brand executives, ESG researchers, sports marketing majors , a nd sports brand influencers. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 24.0 and MS Excel, encompassing research subject classification, consistency verification, and empirical analysis. RESULTS The assessment of ESG activity evaluation factors of sports brands revealed that governance, social, and environmental dimensions ranked in descending order of relative importance. Among specific evaluation criteria, the adoption of employee ethics regulations was deemed paramount in the governance evaluation area, while support for stakeholder welfare and social well-being took precedence in the social evaluation category. In the environmental sector, the production and delivery of eco-friendly, durable products held the highest significance. Further analysis, considering the weighted priorities of all evaluation factors, emphasized the importance of factors, such as the adoption of employee ethics regulations, support for stakeholder welfare, social well-being, and the production and delivery of eco-friendly, durable products. Conversely, disclosure of company information and issues, support for the underprivileged, and general shareholders' meeting or agenda for the protection of shareholders' rights and interests ranked lower. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study validates the role of governance (G) aspects within ESG activities for sports brands, alongside environmental and social dimensions. It highlights the importance of a balanced ESG framework, particularly in an era marked by heightened social responsibility awareness among consumers. Prioritizing governance in marketing strategies not only distinguishes sports brands but also necessitates impactful promotion and advertising efforts.
PURPOSE This study aimed to empirically investigate the influence relationships between the ESG activities of professional sports teams and sports fans’ team recognition, team preference, self-determination, and voluntary action intention. METHODS From March 1, 2022, to May 31, 2022, a survey was conducted online and offline to secure 253 copies of the final valid study samples. Descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, correlation analysis, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation model analysis were performed using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 18.0. RESULTS First, it was found that ESG activities in professional sports teams had a positive effect on sports fans’ team recognition, team preference, self-determination, and voluntary action intention. Second, the team recognition and team preference of sports fans of a given professional sports team had a positive effect on their self-determination and voluntary action intention. CONCLUSIONS The study results showed that ESG activities must be enjoyed not only by a given club’s sports fans but also by its stakeholders. The results suggest that gaining empathy regarding sports fans increases awareness and preference, which can lead to long-term and deeply positive effects on self-determination and voluntary action intentionl.
PURPOSE This study aims to investigate ksports over-the-top (OTT) content and examines the misalignment between experts’ strategic priorities and consumers’ usage perceptions to inform content planning strategies. METHODS The study employed a three-stage procedure: (1) Based on a literature review and Delphi survey rounds, five evaluation domains—enjoyment, information, novelty, convenience, and exclusivity—and 20 sub-items specific to sports OTT content, were identified; (2) Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis was applied to data from 30 OTT industry experts to determine the relative importance of each content attribute; and (3) Consumer perception analysis: Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) was conducted on responses from 295 Korean consumers who view sports OTT content at least once per week. RESULTS The Delphi surveys yielded five primary content attribute categories: enjoyment, information, novelty, convenience, and exclusivity. The AHP analysis showed that exclusivity ranked highest among evaluation domains, whereasattractiveness was the top-ranked sub-item. IPA results placed enjoyment, fun, diversity, timeliness, uniqueness, and attractiveness in the "Concentrate Here" quadrant. Notably, attractiveness and uniqueness were identified as top-priority attributes in the AHP analysis and the "Concentrate Here" quadrants of the IPA analysis. CONCLUSIONS By employing a three-stage approach—Delphi (exploratory), AHP (expert priority derivation), and IPA (consumer perception comparison)—this study integrates analyses of experts’ strategic judgments and consumers’ experiential perceptions to provide actionable content planning priorities and user-centered improvement strategies. This study proposes a multidimensional framework of sports OTT content attributes, extending prior research that primarily focused on consumer behavior. Practically, the study offers the following implications: (1) adopt differentiation strategies cautiously, emphasizing exclusivity; (2) prioritize attributes located in the “Concentrate Here” quadrant, including enjoyment and attractiveness; and (3) sustain and improve fundamental usability features, such as search functionality and accessibility.
